The wings, stabilizers, and other aerodynamic features of an aircraft, such as a passenger airplane or micro air vehicle, are traditionally designed with fixed shapes having specific lift and drag characteristics for an assumed set of operating conditions for the aircraft. The speed and altitude of the aircraft, maneuvers being undertaken by the aircraft, and weather and other environmental factors can greatly affect the aerodynamic efficiency and overall performance of an aerodynamic feature.
A typical flight for an aircraft can also include a variety of airflow conditions. For example, many aircraft operate in more than one type of environment or at varying speeds. These aircraft can benefit from a change in the shape of the wing or other aerodynamic feature in order to achieve optimal lift and drag characteristics given the current operating conditions. Existing wing designs used to improve lift and drag characteristics during varying flight conditions can include materials with only a limited amount of shape altering capability that further incur an undesirable weight penalty. The small changes in the shape of the wing possible with these designs are not sufficient to optimize the performance of the aircraft throughout a variety of operating environments.